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Her head rested on my shoulder, and I heard her sigh with contentment. I didn't understand the reason for her reaction, but it seemed we were both looking for some comfort.
That day, I decided to keep her close to me. I stayed in the same room where she was. Our hands grazed occasionally as she worked. I found myself looking for those accidental moments where I could touch her shoulder or arm as she drifted around the apartment. When she stooped to pick up the mop, I intentionally did the same, and our fingers collided, tangling shyly.
She flinched.
I smiled.
She apologized. I didn't.
I must have confused her because she became quite sloppy in her work. She forgot to dust the windows, she left the spoons on the wrong shelf, she misplaced her watch at some point, and she didn't even bother to clean up my home gym.
When she finally finished cleaning, we sat down to eat the cupcakes she had brought. She turned to me and asked, "What do you want, Carson? What do you want from me?" I grinned and dug into the baked snack. We added some coffee and orange juice to complete the meal.
We looked silly, feasting on cakes when it was already well past breakfast time.
"How about we move into new territory tonight," I said as I took a sip of coffee.
She followed the action, shifting uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes freezing on my lips,. "I don't understand. What do you mean new territory?" I laughed and set the cup down by my plate.
"Go out with me, Raven. Let's have dinner together tonight."
"I work tonight, Carson." She looked away from my steady gaze.
I shrugged. "How about you call in, and I'll give you whatever money you would make tonight."
She scoffed, "Carson, I am not the kind of person who calls in. I am also not the kind of girl who would accept money for spending time with a man. I love dancing, but I’m not an escort, and that’s what I would be if I let you give me money for spending time with you."
I looked sheepishly at her and put my head in my hands, taking a deep breath, then looked back up at her. “I’m sorry, Raven. I obviously didn’t think through the meaning of my words. It’s just that I want so badly to spend more time with you, to really get to know you. I’m so sorry if I made you feel like an escort. That wasn’t my intention. Can you go to dinner with me tomorrow night?”
She cursed under her breath and resumed her meal. "It's fine. You’re forgiven. I know you didn’t mean it like it sounded."
She still hadn’t answered my question. "We’ll have a nice dinner. We can eat somewhere close to your place if that makes you feel more comfortable." Before she could speak, I added, "Please, Raven, it's just dinner. That's all I ask."
The dining table held a heavy silence.
She wiped her hands on her apron and stood abruptly.
"Raven," I called and quickly grabbed her by the arm to stop her from leaving. The movement made the cutlery on the table rattle. Her eyes flew from the table to my hand on her arm, and she glared at my hold on her.
"I'm sorry I am doing such a shitty job of this. This is not how I pictured it in my head.” I took a deep breath and my confidence returned. "I just want to get to know you better. Have dinner with me. If we mess it up, I'll let you be. You'll do your job, and I'll get out your hair." I smiled boyishly.
Her face remained expressionless, but her eyes told a different story— they held hints of several different emotions, but finally seemed to settle on resignation and humor. She said quietly, "Fine. Dinner is fine."
I dug my hands into my pockets and smiled. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at 8."
She turned away from me, but I could still hear the smile in her voice when she responded. "I'll send you my address. Don't be late."
